Nepal - Everest climbing season in disarray after deaths; Sherpas divided on leaving mountain

Описание: (25 Apr 2014)

+4:3 Nepal tourism official denies Sherpas have abandoned expeditions in wake of Everest tragedy
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AP TELEVISION
FILE: Katmandu - April 21, 2014
++16:9++
1. Truck carrying coffin of Sherpa who died in accident at his funeral
FILE: Near Mount Everest - May 18, 2003
++4:3++
2. Mount Everest

Bodies of Sherpas returned to families; death toll rises to 13
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AP TELEVISION
Kathmandu, 19 April 2014
3. Low angle shot of morgue hallway with body of avalanche victim on the floor
4. Relatives of one of the victims covering body with scarf

Sherpas gather at monastery to pray for those who died on Mount Everest
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AP TELEVISION
Katmandu - 20 April, 2014
5. Exterior of the Boudha Monastery
6. Various of the Sherpas gathered at the monastery

Everest climbing season in disarray after deaths; Sherpas divided on leaving mountain
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AP TELEVISION
Katmandu - 25 April 2014
7. Various of truck carrying coffin of Sherpa who died in accident at his funeral

STORYLINE:

On April 23rd 2014 the Nepalese culture and tourism secretary said that it was "not true" that Sherpas had "abandoned all expeditions" to Mount Everest after an avalanche killed 16 of their colleagues on April 18th.
Sushil Ghimire said Sherpas had the choice as to whether they were mentally and physically capable of climbing, but that forcing others not to was "very unfair".
He also said he and others from the tourism ministry would visit the area on April 24th to assess the situation there.
Dozens of Sherpa guides packed up their tents and left Mount Everest's base camp on April 23rd, after the avalanche exposed an undercurrent of resentment by Sherpas over their pay, treatment and benefits.
While it was unclear just how many of the 400 or so Sherpas on the mountain had joined the walkout, a number of expedition companies have already cancelled their climbs.
The lucrative climbing season is in disarray. Most attempts to reach Everest's summit are made in mid-May, when a brief window normally offers better weather.
Without the help of the Sherpas, who are key guides and also haul gear up the mountain, it would be nearly impossible for climbers to scale the mountain.
Many climbers will have to forfeit most or all of the money they have spent to go up Everest - at a cost of at least 75-thousand US dollars.

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Bodies of some of the Sherpa guides killed in an avalanche on Mount Everest were returned to their relatives in Katmandu on April 19th.
A 13th body was meanwhile recovered by search teams from snow and ice covering the dangerous climbing pass on the mountain where the guides were killed a day earlier.
It is the deadliest disaster on the world's highest peak.
Seven of the 12 bodies pulled out and brought down on Friday were handed over to their families in the Everest region, while the other five were taken to Katmandu, Nepal's capital.
Weeping relatives awaited their arrival on April 19th at a monastery.
Another three guides remained missing, and searchers were working quickly to find them in case weather conditions deteriorated, according to the head of the Nepalese government's mountaineering department.

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On April 20th family and friends of those killed in an avalanche on Mount Everest gathered at a monastery in Nepal's capital Katmandu to pray for those who died.
Thirteen Sherpa guides were killed after an avalanche ripped down the mountain on April 18th.
Four survived and three are still missing in what is the deadliest disaster ever on Mount Everest, the world's highest peak.

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